"Enna Burning" by Shannon Hale is an intriguing novel about the difficult decisions a young girl must make after learning the mysterious art of fire-speaking. After her brother is consumed by fire due to using the gift, Enna also learns fire-speaking, promising herself not to misuse it and suffer her brother's fate. However, as her country needs her help to win the war, Enna begins to lose herself to the fire and must struggle against the element to prevent it from consuming her as well. "Enna Burning" is an encouraging tale of bravery, self-identification, and friendship.

Leifer, Enna's brother, finds a vellum scroll, which allows him to learn the art of fire-speaking. However, when he loses his temper and accidentally burns Enna, Enna turns to her best friend, Isi, for advice. Unfortunately, Isi is having problems controlling her gift of wind-speaking and does not have any suggestions for Enna and Leifer. After Tira invades Bayern, Leifer joins Geric's army, using the fire to burn the Tiran forces, but he also burns himself up into a charred heap of flesh. Though distraught about her brother's death, Enna learns how to fire-speak when she finds the vellum stored in Leifer's clothes. Enna does not plan to burn until she burns the Tiran participant in the augury to save Finn's life. Therefore the augury predicts that Bayern will win the war with Enna's help, but without her, her country will lose.

Hoping to avoid her brother's fate, Enna promises not to tell a soul, not to burn a living person, and not to burn big. However, when she nearly burns a person, she realizes that she needs help and so she begins accompanying Finn and Razo on scouting missions in order to burn Tiran supplies. After they suggest that she is losing control, Enna decides to go to Eylbold alone, burning Isi when her friend tries to stop her. In Eylbold, Sileph, a Tiran captain, captures and drugs Enna. Using his people-speaking skills, Sileph woos Enna to believe that she loves him and to agree to burn for Tira, also using Razo and Finn as hostages when they attempt to save Enna. Distraught to realize Sileph has been lying to her, Enna refuses to fight for Tira. Inspired by Isi's bravery in entering the camp to tell her why they could not save her through a story, Enna shows her loyalty to Isi and Bayern by escaping her imprisonment and liberating Razo and Finn.

Enna rushes toward the capital to battle for Bayern, burning many of the Tiran forces. She believes that she is dying when something cracks inside of her and the heat rushes in, but Isi cools Enna with the wind. When Enna awakes, Isi takes her to Yasid to learn the secrets of the tata-rook, fire worshippers, hoping to find a cure. During the journey, Sileph comes for Enna, but he is killed by his own men. Finn also joins Enna and Isi, caring for the two girls as they are tormented by their elements. Enna and Isi also play with their elements during their journey. Upon reaching Yasid, they meet Fahil, the caretaker of the community of tata-rook, who believes Isi can blow the fire from Enna, but Enna suggests that she can teach the fire to Isi to help chase back the wind and allow her friend to find a balance. At Fahil's suggestion, the girls share their elements, forming a balance between the wind and the fire. They then return to Bayern where Isi gives birth to a healthy son and Enna is made a member of Bayern's Own, Geric's personal band of soldiers.